Not Like The Others: And Struggling To Accept
About
“I help people every day.
I just didn’t think I’d have to learn how to help myself too.”
— Rowan
Rowan has spent years pretending his skin was just a problem he could outgrow.
Now, in his mid-twenties and entering clinical rotations to become a nurse, he’s surrounded by people with diagnoses, discharge plans, and names for their pain—except when it comes to his own.
The angry, painful sores on his legs and scalp don’t care that he’s in scrubs. They don’t care that he’s seen a dozen doctors or that everyone calls it “just acne.” But when Rowan begins noticing patients coming into the ER with a disease that looks suspiciously like his, denial becomes harder to maintain.
And acceptance? That’s a whole different battle.
And Struggling to Accept is the fourth and final installment in the "Not Like The Others" series—a quiet, deeply human story about masculinity, vulnerability, and the moment when the healer must admit he needs healing too. For those who live with visible scars and invisible doubt—this one is for you.